As we age, the amount of our responsibilities seem to pile up continuously. At some point, we start to feel like drowning from them and we lose the time to take care of ourselves, have fun and reflect on how our everyday life went by.
Don’t let pressure, work schedules or any other tasks take control of the course of your life. Not giving yourself the time that you deserve will only drain you physically and emotionally. Thus, at some point you will start to feel frustrated, tired, demotivated or worse you will get burnout.
Remember that accomplishing your tasks on time is just as important as giving yourself as taking time to rest and unwind. Never feel guilty about taking your well-deserved and long break after a long day at work. Feeling guilty will only steer you away from achieving a balanced self and lifestyle.
In this article, we aim to help and guide you to get back on track and bring balance to yourself. Having a balanced self will help you achieve a more meaningful, healthy lifestyle and happier life.
It starts by having balancing life
Getting tired after a long day at work is normal. But not giving yourself the time it needs to rest from getting exhausted is definitely not the right way to have a balanced life.
So what does a balanced life actually mean?
Unlike what people commonly believe, achieving balance is not about doing all things at once. It simply means being able to prioritize your responsibilities and at the same time giving yourself the time to breathe and relax.
By being able to do this, you give yourself the time to look into certain perspectives of your life to find peace of mind.
Do I have a balanced life?
Now that you have a clear picture of what a balanced life looks like, you may have been wondering if you even have one.
There are many factors to consider when we talk about a well-balanced life. For instance, to some this may mean having a work-life balance, spending time doing their hobbies or having quality time with their loved ones.
Our lives have different spectrums. This means that we share different ideologies, opinions and values when it comes to maintaining balance. In essence, a balanced life means that no matter what you do, you don’t feel any regret and that you are genuinely happy doing it.
Simply put, what may be true to you, may not be true to other people. Definitely, the only one who can answer this question is you. There won’t be a definite answer to this question.
Look at your physical and mental wellbeing
One important thing to consider when discussing life balance is your physical and mental well-being. Moreover, these two play a huge role in improving the overall state of your health.
According to NYC Therapy, neglecting your mental well-being can bring serious effects on your physical health. Thus, it is important to always take utmost care of your mental well-being in order to keep yourself healthy and away from harmful diseases.
Taking care of your physical and mental well-being
There are many ways to take care of overall well-being. Essentially, to sustain your physical and mental health, you need to understand that it goes beyond maintaining your health.
What do we mean by this? The way you will decide and choose what to prioritize also plays a major role in this process. Simply put, you make an impact on your well-being based on your lifestyle choices.
Picking the right lifestyle choices to improve well-being brings a domino effect to improve one’s balance in their life.
Here are some tips to take care of your overall well-being:
- Eat healthy meals
- Regularly involve yourself in physical exercise
- Sleep on time to get enough sleep
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water to stay hydrated
- Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol
- Practice proper stress management
- Stay conscious of your emotions
- Always give yourself time to think before making actions
The key to creating balance in life is to start now!
Having a balanced self could mean near perfection. It is the presence of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual values put together in one package and given to an individual to live with.
A person with a balanced self exudes sanity, objectivity, neutrality, open-mindedness, fairness and respect for everyone without regard to his or her status in life or society.
But the hardships of life, our ambitions, our painful experiences and our human frailties make it difficult for us to achieve a balanced self. Greed, for one, can already alienate us from it.
We need to aspire for a balanced self no matter how hard it could be. It is the only thing that can make us whole as individuals.
Here are some principles that can help you to achieve a balanced self:
1. Live life in moderation and avoid extremes. Anything taken in excess is poison to your health and well-being. We live in a world where we are constantly told to have many things in life to achieve “happiness.” But we should also be responsible enough to remind ourselves that to bring a healthy balance to our lives is to seek out genuine and long-term happiness. This implies being content with what you have and looking for ways to spend your time meaningfully.
2. Meet life’s tests and challenges with composure and calmness. Remain humble even in the midst of triumph and success. Be persistent and don’t be easily discouraged by the opposition. Success is sometimes measured by your will and desire to overcome them. When faced with more challenges
3. Have a balanced state of mind and aim for real and attainable ideals. Live and enjoy the present moment; it’s the only way to savor the times of your life. Always strive to create balance for yourself by avoiding the negative influences that surround you.
4. Be mature and look at situations from a grown-up’s perspective. Don’t be ashamed to live a simple life. The best way to live a healthy lifestyle with your family is to focus on what’s in front of you. Being able to act on situations maturely, open various aspects and helps in building stronger relationships.
5. Act on your dreams. It’s the only way to realize them. Let your inner self inspire you to reach your goals. Don’t be taunted by what toxic people say. It’s not your duty to please them.
6. Guard yourself against sudden outbursts of emotion and do not jump into conclusions. Forego your action until you can calmly and fairly balance all the factors involved. Allowing your emotions to control your actions is not a good way to solve problems or issues. When faced with difficulties in life, it is preferable to approach them constructively and express your emotions in a way that does not negatively impact others.
6. Be resilient and have an open mind to change. Remember that change is the only thing that has the ability to bring progress. Be flexible like a tree that bends with the wind without breaking. Being faced with challenges means that you are growing and moving forward to becoming a better version of yourself.
7. Believe in the healing power of prayer and relaxation. It can help to renew your energy and creative power to accomplish the task that you have in the present. Praying religiously is also beneficial to uplift your spiritual well-being. It can also strengthen your mental health as you will be able to build a connection with someone that will listen to your struggles.
8. Work and play, love and worship. You have to live with all these; they are part of a balanced life. Essentially, you want to find time after work to relax and enjoy life. You may be good at other things and activities that you have yet to discover and explore. Some people spend their free time trying to learn new things like sports or hobbies, while others spend their time making new friends.
9. Spend time with yourself. Solitude and silence is the key to uniting your body, mind and spirit. Thank yourself for all your achievements. Forgive yourself for your mistakes. Count your blessings. This will inspire and energize you to accomplish your unfinished goals and objectives. It also gives you time to think and understand the reason behind the recent events that occurred in your life.
10. Smile or laugh for every good reason. Strive to live a happy life. There is no best way to achieve a balanced self by making time to appreciate small things and be happy. According to the US Happiness Index report in 2020, the average happiness score only peaked at 6.95 out of 10. Achieving genuine happiness can be difficult for some, but looking for the silver lining no matter what problems or challenges life throws you is already a huge step in the right direction.
A balanced self starts with choosing to live life to its fullest
It is true that we have no control over the events that surround and affect us. Some things are simply out of our hands. However, the best way to get through this is to make the right and mature choices without allowing our emotions to influence our decisions.
Keep in mind that the outcome of many things in life begins with your choices. Thus, taking control of our emotions just is as important in order for you to move forward and make progress.
Find the significance of balancing yourself within each and every small little things in life, check out our meditation blog posts to explore more ways to lead an empowered life.
